Tag: construction

Tulane football team uses Saints’ indoor practice facility to prep for 2024 season

The Tulane Green Wave football team used the New Orleans Saints’ indoor practice facility to prepare for their 2024 season:

While on their California retreat for the summer, the New Orleans Saints have allowed some neighbors to make use of their indoor practice facility back in Metairie.

The Tulane Green Wave have made themselves right at home as they utilized the teams practice facility to take a break from the scorching Louisiana heat and frequent afternoon rain. This wouldn’t be the first time that they have used the Saints facilities either. Tulane has held multiple pro day workouts for their draft-eligible players in Metairie, as well as using the team’s practice field for bowl game prep towards the end of their season.

To remind some of why the Saints aren’t at their facility at the moment, this highlight video gives us a look at their ongoing renovations, as you can see some construction work taking place in the background. Hopefully that doesn’t stop the Green Wave from getting quality reps in as they look to continue their consecutive stretch of double-digit win seasons the last two years.

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Wisconsin misses 247Sports’ ranking of ‘college football’s most impressive facilities’

Wisconsin misses 247Sports’ ranking of ‘college football’s most impressive facilities’

Wisconsin was not included in 247Sports’ Brad Crawford’s updated ranking of college football’s most impressive facilities on Monday.

The list includes 30 programs, including the Big Ten’s Penn State (No. 30), USC (No. 29), Illinois (No. 22), Michigan (No. 18), Maryland (No. 16), Northwestern (No. 13), Nebraska (No. 8), Ohio State (No. 7) and Oregon (No. 1).

Related: Post-spring Big Ten football 2024 power rankings, starting quarterback rankings

The Badgers have seemingly fallen behind in college football’s never-ending facilities arm race. That said, the program was recently approved for a new $285 million indoor practice facility.

The project is set to replace the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center — commonly known as The Shell — and the 80-yard football practice field in the McClain Center with a new state-of-the-art facility. It is still reportedly being designed, with construction set to start in 2025.

The state of college football, and college athletics as a whole, is currently in flux. Right now, athletic departments have record revenue and minimal operating expenses due to the players not being directly paid. That money funds each schools’ other sports in most cases, or is funneled into facilities like seen in Crawford’s ranking.

Wisconsin is a ‘have’ when it comes to revenue. The Big Ten pays out record money each year thanks to its new television deal. The hope is the program’s new practice facility brings it up to the level of the other top contenders in the country.

All of these things matter when discussing how programs differentiate themselves in the eyes of recruits. While money may mean more to recruits now than it once did, facilities still play into that decision. The good news for Badgers fans: there is action being taken to ensure this ranking isn’t the same in the future.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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Saints say poor NFLPA report card didn’t spark cafeteria renovations

Saints team president Dennis Lauscha said a poor NFLPA report card didn’t spark major cafeteria renovations. It’s a move that’s been years in the making:

It doesn’t sound like the New Orleans Saints’ leadership team was surprised to receive a poor grade on their team’s food options, but that doesn’t mean recent NFL Players Association report cards prompted extensive renovations to the cafeteria. The Saints were graded with an F in both 2023 and 2022 for their food/cafeteria offerings. So it’s easy to speculate that ongoing cafeteria construction (which is sending the team’s 2024 training camp to California) could be a response to that performance.

Team president Dennis Lauscha tackled that topic in a recent press conference with local media, in his opening statement: “And the truth of the matter is, I’ll cut through it all: We’re doing this because we want to have the best facilities in the National Football League.”

Lauscha described a series of phases to renovations that began with the locker room, training room, meeting rooms, and other areas in the team headquarters like the draft room. Now it’s time to work on the cafeteria and indoor practice facility. So when did those plans first come into motion?

“2019, we started planning for the cafeteria,” said Maureen Clary, a consultant and broker associate with Corporate Realty, an agency that Saints owner Gayle Benson purchased back in 2021.

Saints chief financial officer Ed Lang chimed in: “I have a full set of plans up in my office, literally the full set that’s dated April of 2020. So those were finished in April 2020. That was COVID. We were actually going to start this project a lot earlier, and then COVID hit.”

“We couldn’t get the steel for it,” Lauscha added, with Clary explaining that the pandemic’s logistical hurdles limited access to both raw materials and complex equipment like power transformers. He continued, “It’s coming together now. I mean this with an abundance of respect for any grade that’s out there, but this definitely isn’t why we’re doing what we’re doing here. We really do want to have the best facility that we can. Even when that grade came out, if we said let’s start then, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

It’s an ambitious plan. The Saints are increasing the cafeteria from 6,000 square feet to 14,000, with the kitchen scaling up from just 1,000 square feet to 4,000. They’re placing an emphasis on fresh food storage and new amenities like carving stations, smoothie bars, and a DEXA body scan (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) to help players track their body fat content as part of the nutrition program.

On top of that, the Saints are expanding the dining area to include outdoor seating and an overlook to the indoor practice facility. Work is expected to be finished by November, though Lauscha is hopeful to have everything in its place by September. Either way, the Saints plan on returning to New Orleans for their 2025 training camp.

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Construction Underway in Memorial Stadium

Construction is underway in Memorial Stadium to add one of the nation’s largest scoreboards. Clemson didn’t waste any time once the season was over getting the upgrade work underway. Clemson University’s Board of Trustees officially approved Phase 2 …

Construction is underway in Memorial Stadium to add one of the nation’s largest scoreboards.  Clemson didn’t waste any time once the season was over getting the upgrade work underway.

Clemson University’s Board of Trustees officially approved Phase 2 of facility improvements to Memorial Stadium in July.  The improvements will cost $65 million. The original plan was estimated at a of cost $68.7 million.

The updated plan also eliminates the additional seating in the east end zone that was part of the initial approval. Part A of the Phase 2 improvements includes premium seating in the West Zone with the addition of the concourse club and a new video board in the east end zone. It is scheduled to be completed in August of 2022.

The new renovations call for a new video board, which will measure 126 feet wide and 57 feet tall. Once it is completed, it will be ranked second in the ACC behind Florida State’s and eighth in the nation overall.

Radakovich spoke to TCI about the upgraded in July.

“Our fans have options,” he said. “We want to make sure when they come to the stadium, they feel like they are getting the best value for their money. Not only with the product out on the field, but the way that the whole game day atmosphere is pulled together.

“That is one of the reasons why the scoreboard was so big from the standpoint of getting that done and having that increased amenity there, as well as for those who are interested in that club experience and getting a new amount of inventory for our club patrons.”

‘The Caesars Superdome’ naming-rights sponsorship approved

The New Orleans Saints will officially host NFL games at “The Caesars Superdome” for years to come:

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There it is: the New Orelans Saints’ home venue will now be named “The Caesars Superdome” for the next 20 years, replacing the “Mercedes-Benz Superdome” title it has held since 2011. Reports from Thursday’s meeting with the Louisiana state legislature’s Joint Budget Committee state that while the Saints will receive 100% of profits from the deal, the team has pledged to put them towards Superdome renovations and upgrades.

The Mercedes-Benz signage was removed last week when the German automaker’s deal expired, opening the door for a new naming-rights sponsor to step in. And as the Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reported earlier this year, Caesar’s Entertainment, Inc. was the frontrunner to take over.

That’s now official. This is the first stadium sponsorship agreement between an NFL team and a casino partner (when Hard Rock sponsored the Miami Dolphins’ stadium a few years back, it had to be specified that they were doing so in their capacity as hotel resorts, not gambling outfits), so it’s something of a landmark. That’s appropriate with New Orleans’ next Super Bowl scheduled to be hosted in 2025.

The process isn’t finished, though. Lawmakers had some reservations about the proposed renderings of what the Caesars Superdome will look like, with state senator Katrina Jackson correctly pointing out that the two-font look needs some work. Here’s hoping the Superdome graphics team can come up with something cleaner.

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Building Bob Quinn’s 53-man roster: Defense

Examining Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn’s previous approaches to roster construction in order to project the 2020 53-man roster.

When putting together an NFL roster, it’s always good to have a blueprint to follow. For Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn, it is very clear that he sticks to his system.

I looked back at every roster of Quinn’s time at the helm of the Lions and broke down all of them by position and style of player to better understand his process of roster building.

Now that we’ve put together what Quinn’s offense will likely look like for Week 1, it’s time to predict the defense:

EDGE Rusher

Quinn’s defenses under both coach Matt Patricia and former-coach Jim Caldwell utilized two types of pass rushers. First, you have your prototypical defensive end. This player has a bigger frame and has their hand in the dirt at the line of scrimmage. Aside from pass-rushing, their job is to set the edge against the run.

The other type of player is the JACK linebacker, whose primary job is also to get to the quarterback, but could drop back in coverage if needed. This player is usually around the same height as the down defensive end but is generally slimmer and faster.

Quinn has more often than not kept five edge defenders on his rosters, but right now the Lions have just four. At defensive end, they have starter Trey Flowers and rotational pass rusher Romeo Okwara. At JACK, there is third-round draft pick Julian Okwara and second-year Austin Bryant. There are several other linebackers who can fill this role as well, but the younger Okwara brother and Bryant are likely to be solely used at this position.

Prediction: Flowers, Okwara, Okwara, Bryant

Interior Defensive Line

At defensive tackle, Quinn tries to keep three types of players in mind when building his 53-man rosters. In the middle of the line, there’s always a big-bodied, run-stuffing nose tackle. In years past, this has been the job of Damon Harrison. With Harrison gone, free agent signing Danny Shelton will assume the role. To back him up, John Penisini remains the only option with the release of Olive Sagapolu and John Atkins opting out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The next two types of players are the three-technique (3T) and five-technique (5T). The 5T role is a player that is usually a little undersized for the defensive tackle position and plays more like a big-bodied defensive end. In this case, Da’Shawn Hand appears to be the clear-cut starter there.

The 3T position lines up between the guard and center, and is your prototypical defensive tackle. Newly-signed Nick Williams will take on the starting role there.

Quinn’s tendencies with the defensive line point to him keeping five players at the defensive tackle position. Shelton and Penisini appear to be set as the respective starter and backup nose tackles. That means that behind Hand and Williams are several players vying for just one backup spot.

Frank Herron, Kevin Strong, and Kevin Wilkins all are young and inexperienced players who could play either spot. Strong may have the upper hand, as he has the most experience with the defense and flashed some serious potential as an undrafted rookie in 2019.

Prediction: Shelton, Hand, Williams, Penisini, Strong

Linebacker

Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to the linebacker position, and this group brings a lot of it.

At the top of the positional depth chart, we can lock in Jamie Collins, Jahlani Tavai, and Jarrad Davis. Quinn has never kept more than five linebackers on his roster with Patricia as coach, so the Lions will have some tough calls to makeover those final two spots.

On one hand, they have some veteran players who could be key contributors in several roles. Christian Jones, who received a two-year contract extension in November, would be the best fit as a veteran backup, but don’t count out Reggie Ragland, who turned his career around with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.

Though those two would be beneficial to the defense for the 2020 season, we know that Quinn values a player’s ability to contribute on special teams as well.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who has been a career special teamer in Detroit, is reportedly having a stellar training camp as could find himself a rotational role on defense as well. Miles Killebrew, a former strong safety, is another key special teams player who has been able to stick around on the roster for his abilities as a gunner.

The Lions also have young players with plenty of upside such as Anthony Pittman, Jason Cabinda, and Elijah Lee, who could all get some reps on defense and help out on special teams. Detroit’s front office clearly sees something in Pittman, as he was stashed away on the practice squad for most of the 2019 season and then elevated to the active roster in Week 17. Cabinda has been working out at both linebacker and fullback during training camp, and Lee spent most of his career on San Francisco’s practice squad and could turn out to be a key special teams player.

Prediction: Collins, Tavai, Davis, Jones, Reeves-Maybin

Cornerback

After losing both of their starting outside cornerbacks from 2019 over the course of the offseason, the Lions drafted Jeff Okudah with their third-overall pick and signed free agent Desmond Trufant, a seven-year starter for the Atlanta Falcons. Add on Justin Coleman in the slot, and you’re looking at Detroit’s top three players at the position.

Behind them are Amani Oruwariye and Mike Ford; young, physical cornerbacks who have proven themselves as reserve players. Ford also has special teams experience, which helps his case for a roster spot even more. Veteran Darryl Roberts is also throwing his hat into the ring for a backup role after starting for the New York Jets in 2019.

Coming to Detroit alongside special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs is Tony McRae, who has been a standout in Cincinnati as a gunner on punt and kick returns. Detroit also brought back another key player on special teams, Dee Virgin.

Two of the aforementioned players will be the odd men out, as Detroit tends to have six cornerbacks on their roster.

Prediction: Okudah, Trufant, Coleman, Oruwariye, Ford, McRae

Safety

Ever since Patricia took over in Detroit, the Lions have seen an increase in multiple-safety sets and varied uses from the safety position. It is no longer as simple as having a free safety and strong safety, but instead looking at what unique skill set each individual player has for specific defensive situations.

Because of this, the Lions need to keep five safeties. Versatility and special teams contributions appear to be the biggest factors for who stays and who gets cut.

Detroit has a young and up-and-coming player in Tracy Walker as one of their starters, and they recently traded with the Patriots for Duron Harmon.

Behind them, Will Harris’s job seems secure as the primary backup and third safety.

So who will take the two open roster spots?

After a quietly good rookie season, C.J. Moore returns to Detroit, vying for a role on special teams. Last season, he was a stalwart in that role, playing 69 percent of the Lions’ special teams snaps.

Free agent acquisition Jayron Kearse, who will face a suspension for the first three weeks of the season, is another player who could contribute heavily on special teams.

Also in the mix are undrafted rookies Jalen Elliott and Bobby Price, who may be able to benefit from Kearse’s suspension.

Prediction: Walker, Harmon, Harris, Kearse, Moore

Superdome officials report 32 positive coronavirus cases amid renovations

32 construction workers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome renovations project tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19.

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Renovations on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome began immediately after the LSU Tigers won their Jan. 13 national title game, taking the first steps to ensure the New Orleans Saints will continue to play in a cutting-edge venue rivaling any stadium around the NFL.

Back in May, WDSU-New Orleans reported that construction on the Superdome (most of which is happening behind the scenes, where fans won’t see it, in this first phase) had not been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, a recent statement from Superdome officials to WDSU confirmed that nearly three dozen workers received positive tests.

The statement to WDSU reads: “We can confirm that in the last few weeks, 32 of the 275-plus daily workers on the project have tested positive for COVID-19. This post-Memorial Day increase is consistent with what 21 other states, not including Louisiana, are experiencing at this stage of the pandemic as more restrictions have been lifted for travel, shopping, and work.”

Those staffers are employees of Broadmoor, LLC, a contractor that is spearheading the Superdome project. According to the statement, affected workers were sent home to self-isolate and must clear testing before they can return. In the meantime, their coworkers received personal protective equipment to wear on the job in an attempt at limiting further infections.

Broadmoor and Superdome management are also working together to enhance health and safety procedures, detailed as, “access to handwashing stations, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and that all workspaces are cleaned and sanitized daily. In addition, medical technicians administer temperature screenings for all workers who enter the Superdome each day, and Broadmoor has instituted social distancing measures, including staggered starts and breaks.”

It remains to be seen whether this will affect the project’s construction goals, which are staggered to account for the expected start of the NFL season. These extensive renovations to the Superdome were drawn up in a yearslong plan to work around Saints games and other big events, but organizers may have to adjust on the fly if the pandemic continues to trip them up.

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Look: Rams’ under-construction SoFi Stadium raises Oculus videoboard, Saints to visit

The New Orleans Saints will help open the Los Angeles Rams’ SoFi Stadium in a preseason game, where construction is continuing to progress.

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The New Orleans Saints are set to open the 2020 calendar of events at SoFi Stadium in a preseason game with the Los Angeles Rams, and the NFL’s new $5 billion venue just passed a big milestone.

Designed around an innovate wrap-around Oculus videoboard, SoFi Stadium is centered on a unique 120-yard display that will display scores, stats, and highlights for fans in attendance. And now it’s up in the air, and anchored into position. That’s an important big step towards putting the finishing touches on the stadium and, one day soon, opening doors to fans.

See it for yourself:

The Rams will share this venue with the Los Angeles Chargers, in much the same way as the New York Jets split rent with the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Check out the Oculus videobard from a few different angles:

The exact date of the preseason kickoff between the Saints and Rams at SoFi Stadium is unclear, but it’ll take place some time between August 13-17 (depending on NFL national broadcast rules, which will be determined later). So stay tuned for details as the 2020 NFL season inches closer.

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Superdome renovations, naming rights sponsor search not slowed by Covid-19

The New Orleans Saints are renovating the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and recruiting new naming-rights sponsor despite the Covid-19 coronavirus.

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The New Orleans Saints have played games inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for nearly a decade, but their home stadium will wear a different name after the 2021 season.

As first reported by Nola.com’s Jeff Nowak last year, Mercedes-Benz’s 10-year naming-rights sponsorship with the Superdome will soon expire. And the Saints are busy recruiting new partners for one of the most iconic venues in American sports.

Forbes reports that an internal memo stresses a desire for regional benefits tied to a new sponsor’s cooperation, such as a “Hurricane Preparedness Pep Rally” planned to help residents stockpile supplies before the summer storm season. The Saints are always active in their community outreach, and they clearly plan to increase those efforts once they’ve acquired more resources.

Meanwhile, the Superdome itself is having some work done under the hood. A $450 million renovation and expansion project is in the works, designed at easing congestion for fans exiting the stadium and improving behind-the-scenes logistics like new service elevators and food preparation facilities. The most noticeable change for fans watching from home might be the addition of field-level box seating near the end zones, which can be seen in other stadiums around the NFL.

That work began immediately after the LSU Tigers’ victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and it hasn’t been impeded by the novel coronavirus pandemic. WDSU-New Orleans reports that construction is moving ahead on schedule, with different phases of activity planned around the upcoming Saints seasons, the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, and landmark music festivals like Essence Fest.

While it’s unfortunate that many of these events have been postponed or canceled while the country’s healthcare system combats the coronavirus, this might be an opportunity for the Superdome renovations to move a little quicker with fewer stops and starts. Maybe it’ll all wrap up ahead of the stated goal: 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII, the next NFL title game hosted by New Orleans.

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Latest look at Raiders’ Las Vegas stadium, which Saints will visit in 2020

The New Orleans Saints will play the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in 2020. A viral video showed how construction is progressing.

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The New Orleans Saints will hit the road in 2020, and help ring in the then-Las Vegas Raiders’ inaugural season at Allegiant Stadium. That venue is still under construction, but is progressing well towards its Aug. 2020 opening date, and The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the NFL is considering it to host the 2020 season’s first Sunday night game.

That means there’s a scenario where the Saints and the Raiders headline the NFL’s Week 1 schedule next year. While the reigning Super Bowl champions traditionally host the first game of the next year (and the Saints are very much contending for that championship), the NFL has shown a willingness to go in other directions when it benefits them. For example, they scheduled a game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers to open up the league’s 100th season in 2019, putting the Super Bowl-champion New England Patriots on Sunday night.

Next season, there’s the added factor of Los Angeles opening the new SoFi Stadium, which will house both the Rams and Chargers. The Review-Journal report adds that a Rams home game is being considered for Thursday night in Week 1, which would boot the Super Bowl champions (whoever they are, and hopefully the Saints) into another time slot.

So the Saints and Raiders could kick off on Sunday night in early Sept. 2020, even in the event that the Saints win Super Bowl LIV in Miami. While it would be disappointing for the Saints to lose that prestigious opening-night game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for Week 1, it’s tough to complain about the idea of opening the 2020 season in Las Vegas at a shining-new venue against a fringe playoff team. With NFL superstars like Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and Alvin Kamara and one of the league’s best-traveling fanbases involved, this would be a tantalizing draw for the NFL.

As for Allegiant Stadium itself: it’s a $1.8 billion project that will host 65,000 seats and host both the Raiders and the UNLV Rebels. A recent viral video shared a street-side view of the under-progress stadium, along with its glossy black exterior. Yeah, it’s easy to picture the Saints playing here (and leaving with a win):

 

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